Anti-Semitism is serious enough without conflating it with legitimate criticism

Sir, – In his letter (“Being Irish and Jewish: I love my home, but I am so angry”, Letters, October 19th), Nick Davis writes that he sees anti-Semitism at the core of Ireland’s apparent singling out of Israel for criticism. Without wishing to downplay the seriousness of this concern, it’s important to understand the issue based on the facts.

It is simply not true to say that Israel is singled out for criticism. You need only look at how far Russia has been excluded since 2022: kicked out of the World Cup and the Olympics, with its overseas assets frozen. Or look back to the 1980s to the treatment of apartheid South Africa.

Furthermore, even if we grant that Irish criticism is disproportionately focused on Israel, is this explicable by something other than animus towards Jewish people? I believe that it is. Israel is a democracy that claims western values, and so invites the standard that it professes.

It is also a major trading partner of Ireland and other western countries. This gives the Irish public leverage there that they lack over Sudan, or non-state actors in Nigeria, to mention the other contemporary human rights crises that Davis brings up in his letter.

Anti-Semitism is serious enough without conflating it with legitimate Irish criticism of Israel. – Yours, etc,

JAMES MACDONNELL,

Elmpark,

Dublin 4.